Application of control technologies such as autonomous robot driving and IoT sensing
Official launch in the second half of this year after first introducing the company's facilities


SK Telecom announced on the 26th that it had developed a COVID-19 quarantine robot together with Omron Control Equipment Korea.

The two companies expect that a more systematic and efficient response to COVID-19 will be possible by having robots take over tasks previously performed by humans, such as temperature checks and disinfection using UV lamps.

Starting on the 26th, the COVID-19 quarantine robot will begin activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including quarantine activities, temperature checks for visitors, and recommendations for mask-wearing and social distancing, at the SK Telecom headquarters in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul.

The COVID-19 quarantine robot jointly developed by SK Telecom and Omron incorporates ICT technologies such as 5G and AI, as well as factory automation control technologies such as robot autonomous driving and IoT sensing.

Robots use 5G networks to exchange data with servers in real time, performing various tasks such as autonomous driving, temperature screening, and quarantine. For example, the robots send temperature data measured by the robots to the server via a 5G network, which analyzes the data and restricts entry to the site if the body temperature is high.

The quarantine robot will be equipped with SK Telecom's self-developed AI-based recognition technology to encourage visitors to practice social distancing and wear masks. In crowded places, the robot will approach and ask people to practice social distancing and recommend that those without masks wear them.

SK Telecom also implemented "Metatron," a 5G-based big data analysis solution. Metatron collects and analyzes data on key components of a robot through sensors attached to the robot, enabling it to monitor its current condition and predict when maintenance is needed in real time.

The two companies plan to initially deploy the newly developed COVID-19 quarantine robots in their own facilities and officially launch them in the second half of 2020. Choi Nak-hoon, Head of SK Telecom's Industrial Data Business Unit, stated, "We plan to advance into overseas markets in 2021."